@ Hutterite: Can't tell yet if you are, or aren't, just laying down
some bait. Children have been an economic "burden" since the beginning
of the human race. They are also an economic necessity. It may be wise for some
(because of lack of finances, or sufficient education, etc.) to not have kids,
but I for one am counting on there being enough of the younger generation
around, and having kids, to keep the societal ship afloat.

Children have been born into some very difficult circumstances through the ages.
There are some people who are unfit to successfully raise children in their
current circumstance. Children are certainly not a financial investment.

That being said, what could be adjusted in the life of a husband and
wife to pull back on the reins of our modern consume culture? Could their life
be simpler? Are iPhones as necessary as retailers and the Jones' are trying
to convince us they are? Aren't children a much, much more important
investment?

I understand there are difficulties surrounding the
situation of those married adults who desire to have children and can't,
due to medical reasons. We as a society should be extremely sensitive to those
feelings. I also agree that a financial plan is a necessity before a children is
added to the list of expenses. However, having a child will always be a
sacrifice for a couple to make. Please, please don't let money stop you
from having a family.

If the cost of conceiving, birthing, raising, and
educating a child cost as little as an iPhone, we'd have at least 5 kids.
If only.

Opportunity cost (i.e. one of us having to give up work),
housing, and student debt are far more crushing to us than the actual cost of
raising our two kids. Neither of us can find jobs in places that are affordable
to live in, and there's not much we can do about our student debt besides
pay it off as we can. It's great for people who went to BYU (or didn't
go to college) and live out West to talk about how easy it is to start a family,
but for those of us that wound up in different circumstances, we can't
always have the same outcomes. And that's okay.